ESTRUTURA DA VEGETAÇÃO ARBÓREA NA MATA CILIAR DO RIBEIRÃO CLARO, MUNICÍPIO DE RIO CLARO - SP

Foram amostrados 200 indivíduos arbóreos pre­sentes na mata ciliar no ribeirão Claro. O estudo de­ monstrou a presença de 2 estratos arbóreos, com emer­gentes. A distribuição dos diâmetros na fitocenose apre­sentou maior freqüência nas classes inferiores. Foram realizados estudos de freqüência de classes de diâme­tro nas populações mais importantes

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Seed predation of Virola bicuhyba (Schott) Warb. (Myristicaceae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Foi estudada a predação de sementes em Virola bicuhyba (Myristicaceae) em área de floresta atlântica no sudeste do Brasil, com objetivo de testar o modelo de Janzen-Connell de que a mortalidade de sementes aumenta próximo a árvore parental. Foi avaliada a predação de sementes em três diferentes distâncias da árvore mãe e para duas classes de predadores: invertebrados e vertebrados. Foram utilizadas parcelas de exclusão para vertebrados e parcelas controle abertas, distribuídas a 5, 15 e 25 m de distância do tronco de indivíduos de V. bicuhyba em frutificação. No Experimento 1 foram utilizadas 1.200 sementes e no Experimento 2, 1.440 sementes. Os dois experimentos não corroboraram o modelo de Janzen-Connell, pois a predação de sementes por invertebrados e vertebrados foi independente da distância da árvore parental. Foram verificadas altas taxas de predação de sementes, porém a predação por vertebrados foi maior do que por invertebrados nos dois experimentos, sendo esta a principal causa da mortalidade das sementes.Seed predation of Virola bicuhyba (Myristicaceae) was studied in an area of Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil, with the objective of testing the Janzen-Connell model. The predation of seeds was evaluated at three different distances from the parent tree for two classes of predators: invertebrates and vertebrates. The method of exclosure plots (closed plots) and open control plots was used, distributed at 5, 15 and 25 m from the trunk of each adult fruiting tree of V. bicuhyba. In Experiment 1, 1,200 seeds were used and, in Experiment 2, 1,440 seeds. Both experiments did not agree with Janzen-Connell model, as seed predation by invertebrates and vertebrates was independent of the distance from the parent tree. Seed predation rate was high, however the impact of predation by vertebrates was higher than by invertebrates, indicating that it is the main cause of seed mortality.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Large mammalian herbivores modulate plant growth form diversity in a tropical rainforest

The world’s terrestrial biomes are broadly classified according to the dominant plant growth forms that define ecosystem structure and processes. Although the abundance and distribution of different plant growth forms can be strongly determined by factors such as climate and soil composition, large mammalian herbivores have a strong impact on plant communities, thus defaunation (the local or functional extinction of large animals) has the potential to alter the compositional structure of plant growth forms in natural ecosystems. Tropical rainforests sustain a high diversity of growth forms, including trees, palms, lianas, shrubs, herbs and bamboos, all of which play important ecosystem functions. Here, we experimentally evaluate how large mammalian herbivores affect the dominance, diversity and coexistence of these major tropical forest plant growth forms, by monitoring communities of saplings on the understorey in 43 paired exclusion plots in a long-term replicated exclusion experiment in the understorey of the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Over the course of 10 years large herbivore exclusion decreased diversity among growth forms, increased the absolute abundance of palms and trees (22% and 38% respectively) and increased the diversity of species within these two groups, to the detriment of other growth forms. Furthermore, all pairwise relationships between growth forms were positive on plots where herbivores had access, whereas several strong negative relationships emerged in plots where herbivores were excluded. This occurred despite strong background directional temporal trends affecting plant communities in both experimental treatments across the region. Synthesis. Our work indicates that the defaunation alters growth form dominance by favouring palms and trees while eroding diversity among growth forms and coexistence on a temporal scale. Large herbivore mammals promote diversity among growth forms, preventing the hyper-dominance of trees and palms, yet without supressing the diversity of species within growth forms. We argue that large herbivore mammals affect growth forms through several non-mutually exclusive mechanisms, including herbivory, seed dispersal and physical disturbance, as well as differential effects linked to the morphological and physiological adaptations of growth forms. We conclude that defaunation might lead to profound impacts on important ecosystem functions underpinned by growth form diversity, and result in vertical and horizontal structural simplification of tropical rainforests

PREDATION of ADULT PALMS BY BLACK-CAPUCHIN MONKEYS (CEBUS NIGRITUS) IN THE BRAZILIAN ATLANTIC FOREST.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-12T18:14:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-01Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T18:46:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-01Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues ([email protected]) on 2014-05-20T13:55:45Z No. of bitstreams: 0Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T13:55:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-01Laboratorio de Biologia de Conservacao, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), CEP 13.506-900, Av. 24 A, no 1515, Rio Claro, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratorio de Biologia de Conservacao, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), CEP 13.506-900, Av. 24 A, no 1515, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazi

Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle

1. Tropical rainforests are populated by large frugivores that feed upon fruit-producing woody species, yet their role in regulating the cycle of globally important biogeochemical elements such as nitrogen is still unknown. This is particularly relevant because tropical forests play a prominent role in the nitrogen cycle and are becoming rapidly defaunated. Furthermore, frugivory is not considered in current plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks exclusively focused on grazers and browsers. 2. Here we used a long-term replicated paired control-exclusion experiment in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where peccaries and tapirs are the largest native frugivores, to examine the impact of large ground-dwelling frugivores on modulating soil nitrogen cycling, considering their effects across a gradient of abundance of a hyper-dominant palm. 3. We found that both large frugivores and dominant palms play a substantial role in modulating ammonium availability and nitrification rates. Large frugivores increased ammonium by 95%, which also increased additively with palm abundance. Nitrification rates increased with palm abundance in the presence of large frugivores, but not on exclosure plots. Large frugivores also stimulated the regulation of the functions of soil nitrifying microorganisms, and modulated the landscape-scale variance in nitrogen availability. Such joint effects of large frugivores and palms are consistent with the notion of "fruiting lawns". 4. Our study indicates that frugivory plays a pivotal role in zoogeochemistry in tropical forests by regulating and structuring the nitrogen cycle, urging to accommodate frugivory in plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks. It also indicates that defaunation, deforestation and illegal palm and timber harvesting seriously affect nitrogen cycling in tropical forests, that play a prominent role in the global cycle of this nutrient.Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: 2014/01986-0Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: 2013/50424-1Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: 2015/11521-7Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: 2018/20599-8Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: (2016/25197-0Funding provided by: Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001807Award Number: 2018/00212-1Funding provided by: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003593Award Number

Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle

Tropical rainforests are populated by large frugivores that feed upon fruit-producing woody species, yet their role in regulating the cycle of globally important biogeochemical elements such as nitrogen is still unknown. This is particularly relevant because tropical forests play a prominent role in the nitrogen cycle and are becoming rapidly defaunated. Furthermore, frugivory is not considered in current plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks exclusively focused on grazers and browsers. Here we used a long-term replicated paired control-exclusion experiment in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where peccaries and tapirs are the largest native frugivores, to examine the impact of large ground-dwelling frugivores on modulating soil nitrogen cycling, considering their effects across a gradient of abundance of a hyper-dominant palm. We found that both large frugivores and dominant palms play a substantial role in modulating ammonium availability and nitrification rates. Large frugivores increased ammonium by 95%, which also increased additively with palm abundance. Nitrification rates increased with palm abundance in the presence of large frugivores, but not on exclosure plots. Large frugivores also stimulated the regulation of the functions of soil-nitrifying microorganisms, and modulated the landscape-scale variance in nitrogen availability. Such joint effects of large frugivores and palms are consistent with the notion of 'fruiting lawns'. Our study indicates that frugivory plays a pivotal role in zoogeochemistry in tropical forests by regulating and structuring the nitrogen cycle, urging to accommodate frugivory in plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks. It also indicates that defaunation, deforestation and illegal palm and timber harvesting seriously affect nitrogen cycling in tropical forests, that play a prominent role in the global cycle of this nutrient. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article

No changes in seedling recruitment when terrestrial mammals are excluded in a partially defaunated Atlantic rainforest

One of the most intriguing questions in ecology is how to identify which and how many species will be able to inhabit human-modified landscapes. Large-bodied mammals structure plant communities by trampling, herbivory, seed dispersal and predation, and their local extinction may have pervasive consequences in plant communities due to the breakdown of key interactions. Although much attention has been given to understanding the effects of defaunation on plant communities, information on the potential impacts on plant functional groups (seed dispersal, seed size and seedling leaves defense) inhabiting continuous forests after defaunation is scarce. We conducted mammal surveys (line transects and camera trapping) to determine the defaunation status of a continuous Atlantic forest in Brazil. Then, we evaluated the effects of defaunation on seedling diversity, richness and abundance of functional groups using 15 plot-pairs (each pair with one open and one exclusion plot) monitored over 36. months. We found that the studied area is partially defaunated because it exhibits high abundance of primates, while terrestrial mammals, such as large rodents and ungulates, are rare. We found no significant changes in either seedling richness and diversity or in the seedling composition of plant functional groups in response to mammal exclosure. Seedling mortality and recruitment were similar between plot types. Our findings suggest that at semi-defaunated areas, where arboreal species are still present, terrestrial mammals have low impacts on the plant community reassembly. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Villar_et_al_JoEco2019_data

Datasets used to estimate the effects of defaunation from functionally distinct large herbivores on the spatiotemporal structure of seedling communities in the Atlantic Forest of Brazi

Data from: The cryptic regulation of diversity by functionally complementary large tropical forest herbivores

1. Tropical forests hold some of the world’s most diverse communities of plants. Many populations of large-bodied herbivores are threatened in these systems, yet their ecological functions and contribution towards the maintenance of high levels of plant diversity are poorly known. The impact of these herbivores on plant communities through antagonistic seed and seedling predation has received much attention, whilst their relevance as seed dispersal agents has been largely overlooked in experimental studies. 2. Here we tested how two key and functionally distinct large generalist mammalian herbivore species (the tapir Tapirus terrestris- a solitary browser and generalist seed disperser, and the white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari- a group-living generalist seed/seedling predator) affect spatiotemporal patterns of diversity of seedling communities in tropical forests. We conducted a long-term multi-region landscape-scale exclusion experiment across four regions of the Atlantic forest of Brazil, representing a functional gradient of defaunation where these species were either present and absent in isolation and in combination. 3. Our results indicate that mammalian herbivores have a substantial role in regulating beta diversity in space and time. Seedling recruitment was strongly limited by the presence of the seed/seedling predator species (the peccary), but the presence of the browser and seed disperser (the tapir) had null net effects. Alpha diversity of seedlings at the community level did not respond to large herbivore exclusion at any region, whereas beta diversity decreased only where both herbivores were simultaneously excluded. Surprisingly, the synergic positive effect of both herbivore types on beta diversity was linked to increased evenness amongst dominant plant species, and a simultaneous decrease in alpha diversity of rare species. 4. Synthesis: Together, these results challenge the common perception that large tropical forest herbivores maintain tropical forest diversity through antagonistic interactions, suggesting instead a synergistic effect of antagonistic predation and mutualistic seed dispersal on regional compositional diversity and local community assembly. We suggest that the defaunation of large-bodied herbivores with complementary functions strongly affects the structure and dynamics of plant communities through cryptic mechanisms that remain largely unexplored